- James Gunn shut down rumors about Robin appearing in The Batman Part II.
- The rumor came from scooper Jeff Sneider, who has a mixed track record.
- Gunn, as studio co-head, has every reason to protect secrecy—even if it means lying.
- The scoop economy thrives on half-truths, leaks, and speculation that often changes.
- Fans shouldn’t fully trust scoopers or studio heads until there’s tangible proof.
James Gunn is out here doing cleanup duty again—this time swatting down a rumor that Robin will appear in The Batman Part II. The claim came from scooper Jeff Sneider, a guy whose reputation is about as stable as a Jenga tower in an earthquake. Gunn responded with his usual “please stop believing this nonsense” routine, pointing out that only six people have read the script. Which sounds airtight… until you remember that scripts get passed around like candy once pre-production ramps up.
And here’s the thing—Gunn’s job isn’t to tell you the truth. It’s to protect the film. If that means feeding the public a line to throw scoopers off the scent, he’ll do it. All studio heads would. Lying isn’t the exception; it’s part of the process. The problem is that fans keep treating these denials like gospel and then acting blindsided when the thing they were told wasn’t happening suddenly shows up on screen.
On the other side, you’ve got scoopers like Sneider. He’s gotten some stuff right, some wrong, and some hilariously wrong. That’s the nature of the scoop game—information changes, scenes get cut, and half the time, the “inside source” is just some production assistant who overheard something at craft services. But the clicks are too good to resist, so the rumor mill keeps turning.
The truth usually sits somewhere in the middle. Gunn says Robin’s not in the movie; Sneider says he is. The real answer? We won’t know until the studio wants us to. Remember Henry Cavill’s Superman cameos? Those were shot in a few hours, paid half a million for, and kept under wraps until it suited marketing. Studios can hide anything if they want to.
So no, you probably shouldn’t trust scoopers. But you shouldn’t trust James Gunn either—not when the goal is to keep you in the dark. Until there’s set photos, official announcements, or a scene in the trailer, every “exclusive” or denial is just part of the game. And the people playing it? They’re way better at it than the audience.
Hollywood After Dark 